Development of sputtered films for solar-hydrogen production at UWS Hawkesbury

The development of sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative fuel is an important activity for addressing climate change and long term energy security. At the University of Western Sydney, the Solar Energy Technologies Research Group is pursuing the generation of hydrogen fuel from the photoelectrochemical splitting of water. This process is driven by sunlight and involves two electrodes immersed in an aqueous solution. At least one of these electrodes is photosensitive and capable of employing solar energy to drive the redox reactions that lead to water electrolysis. Identified as a photo-electrode, intense research is being undertaken around the world to develop photoelectrode materials that exhibit the requisite host of functional properties required for high performance solar driven water splitting.